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turn you my hearty thanks for the fame. Governor Boone hath accepted the order for the payment of one hundred rupees new Bombay on your account, and given it due honour. If time would permit, I fhould willingly embrace this prefent opportunity of waiting on you myself, and vifiting your factory alfo; but I promised the Governor to make no long stay, and am engaged to return the first convenient opportunity.

I hope, Sir, that fince the occafion of your want of health in these remote and fultry parts of the world hath excufed you from attending that public trust, you have hitherto fo long and so faithfully discharged, you will not think this the leaft of thofe good works which will infeparably follow you, and even instead of health fupply the want of fo defirable a bleffing.

Worshipful Sir, I wish you and your good Lady a fafe and joyful return home; and that you may enjoy with comfort the fruits of your labours in your native air, is the fincere defire of, Worshipful Sir,

Your most obliged humble fervant,
Richard Cobbe.

To the worshipful Robert Adams, Efq; Chief of

Callicut, &c.

Worshipful Sir,

Bombay Caftle, Mar. 25, 1718.

HAVING had the honour of a long and ge

nerous reception at Tellichery, I am the more fenfibly engaged to return you this fincere though fmall requital, the recognition of your favours and abundant civilities I there received at your hands. I thank you likewife for the extroardi

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nary present you have fince been pleased to order me in plate, perpetuated to your memory with this infcription, DONUM ROBERTI ADAMS ARMIGER, DE CALLICUT & TELLICHERY PRÆFECT. VICAR. ANNO DOMINI 1717. But more especially am I obliged to you for your more than ordinary generous contribution to our Church, the which, as it is esteemed a favour of a more public nature, fo will it require a more public inftance of perpetual acknowledgement.

I am fenfible of the fmall returns I am capable of expreffing, much less of making your Worship for these favours; but if the repeated offers of fuch services I am capable of performing will be at any time acceptable, either to you or yours, I fhall always endeavour, as well in gratitude as in duty bound, to approve myself,

Worshipful Sir,

Your and your good family's

Moft obedient humble Servant

And Chaplain,

Richard Cobbe.

To all Chriftian People, Members of the Church of England at China, greeting.

Gentlemen,

Bombay, April 3, 1718. THAT you might not want an occafion of exercifing your charity in these remote parts of the chriftian world, I have ventured to lay before you a very deferving object, the rebuilding of our ruinous Church of Bombay, an object without doubt as beneficial as any, and I hope not unworthy your generosity. Gentlemen,

Gentlemen, you will pardon the freedom of this request, fince it is for the public good this favour is requested; your free-will offerings fhall, I affure you, be as ufefully applied here in India as in England, and as great the praise that will redound to your names, when like true fons you not only acknowledge, but relieve (though in a ftrange land) the neceffities of a diftreffed mother.

May your seasonable relief meet with as fuitable a return, and that fuch may be an insurance to you of future bleffings!

Your humble Petitioner,

as in duty bound, shall ever pray,

Richard Cobbe.

To the Right Reverend Dr John Robinson,
Lord Bishop of London.

My Lord,

Bombay Castle, Dec. 6, 1718. WITH earneft expectation have we waited hitherto your Lordship's orders for the confecration of our new Church, which was begun November 18, 1715, and carried on chiefly by the inhabitants of this place; and being now made ready and fit for divine fervice, is by the Honourable Charles Boone Efq; our very worthy Governor, appointed to be opened on Christmas-day next enfuing.

I hope your Lordship will excufe this haste, in not proceeding fo regularly as we ought; and impute it not fo much to the impatient defire of thofe, who have defired to see their charitable contributions thus faithfully applied to the good use they were intended, as to the real inconveniences and ftraitnefs of our Chapel.

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I did myself the honour of acquainting your Lordship of our defign in this affair, before we had a stone laid in our Church, dated Bombay Caftle, October 5, 1715; and now prefuming on your Lordship's goodness in pardoning this im-. portunity, do beg the fame favour of receiving this Church of ours, and dedicating it as was intended according to form, and your Lordship's authority in this behalf, to the public celebration of divine offices; that thereby there may be an end put to all private claims, and a means to prevent its return to common uses.

We have Prayers appointed every morning and evening, according to the ufe of the church of England; a Sermon every Sunday, Christmas-day, Afcenfion-day, Afhwednesday, Good-friday, November 5, January 30, May 29, and the King's Acceffion; the Sacrament every first Sunday in the month; Eafter-day, Whit-funday and Chriftmas-day; Catechifing all Sundays and Holidays, and Litany-days in Lent.

If your Lordship hath any further commands, it fhall be my earnest endeavour to make up what is wanting; intreating the favour of your Lordfhip's bleffing, I am with the utmost respect,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's

moft obedient humble fervant,

Richard Cobbe.

P. S. The Governor defires your Lordship would be pleased to give a name to our new Church.

To

To the Worshipful Robert Adams Efq; Chief of Callicut and Tellichery.

Worshipful Sir,

Bombay Castle,

Jan. 10, 1718-19.

HAVING this opportunity of paying my respects, I thought myself obliged for the many favours received, to continue this small tribute of a grateful acknowledgement.

In my laft I promised your Worship fome account of the ceremony in opening our new Church, which was performed according to Governor Boone's order, in the following mannner.

On Christmas-day laft, 1718, the Governor and Council, attended by the free Merchants, Military, &c. Inhabitants of the place, proceeding from the Fort in great order to the Church, and approaching the great door at the weft end, were met by the Chaplain in his proper habit, and introduced repeating the twenty-fourth Pfalm, with the Gloria Patri. The Church was dreffed with palm branches and plantin trees, the pillars adorned with wreaths of greens, aud the double croffes over the arches looked like fo many stars in the firmament. Service began as ufual on Christmasday, but with this additional satisfaction, the making a new Chriftian the fame day in our new Church; a good omen, I hope, of a future increase: the Governor, Mrs Parker and Mrs Crommelin,ftood goffips; who came down to the font in time of divine fervice, where the child was baptized according to order, by the name of Susanna; a whole croud of black people standing round about, Rammagee and all his caft, who were fo well pleased with the decency and regularity of our way of worship, that they stood it out the whole fervice.

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